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Use trigonometric ratios to solve the following problem:

Shaina, who is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, is standing 20 feet from the base of a tree when she sees a pileated woodpecker at the top of the tree. The bird is at an angle of elevation of 68 degrees above Shaina's line of sight. What is the height of the tree?

A. 55 feet
B. 680 inches
C. 66 feet
D. 240 inches

Answer :

We start by converting Shaina’s height into feet. Since she is 5 feet 6 inches tall and there are 12 inches in a foot, we have:

[tex]$$
\text{Shaina's height} = 5 + \frac{6}{12} = 5 + 0.5 = 5.5 \text{ feet.}
$$[/tex]

Next, note that she stands 20 feet from the tree. When she looks upward at an angle of elevation of [tex]$68^\circ$[/tex], she is essentially forming a right triangle where:
- The horizontal side (adjacent side) is 20 feet.
- The vertical side (opposite side) is the extra height from her eyes to the top of the tree.
- The angle at her position is [tex]$68^\circ$[/tex].

Let the extra height above her height be denoted by [tex]$h_{\text{extra}}$[/tex]. From trigonometry, we know:

[tex]$$
\tan(68^\circ) = \frac{h_{\text{extra}}}{20}.
$$[/tex]

Solving for [tex]$h_{\text{extra}}$[/tex], we have:

[tex]$$
h_{\text{extra}} = 20 \tan(68^\circ).
$$[/tex]

Evaluating [tex]$20 \tan(68^\circ)$[/tex] (using a calculator or trigonometric tables), we find:

[tex]$$
20 \tan(68^\circ) \approx 49.50 \text{ feet.}
$$[/tex]

The total height of the tree is the sum of Shaina’s height and the extra height:

[tex]$$
\text{Tree's height} = 5.5 + 49.50 = 55 \text{ feet.}
$$[/tex]

Thus, the height of the tree is [tex]$\boxed{55~\text{feet}}$[/tex].

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